The fruit of the vanilla orchid is commonly referred to as the vanilla bean. The bean is located inside a protective fleshy pod that can reach a length of 24 centimetres. Both pod and beans are highly aromatic. As the beans ripen, the pod will turn darker and darken and eventually become brow to blackish in colour. When it has reached this stage, you can often scent a typically vanilla pod odour around it. Be patient; it can take up to 9 months for the beans to ripen and it is very important not to remove them prematurely if you want to use them in your kitchen.

Lorraine is one of the 26 régions of France and the only region that borders three other countries: Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Within France, Lorraine borders Franche-Comté, Alsace, and Champagne-Ardenne.

In German, the Lorraine region is known as Lothringen. The name is derived from the Lotharingia, the name of a short-lived Medieval kingdom in the region.

Lorraine has since long been a crossroad between several nations and it has played a vital role in the history of Europe throughout the centuries. It is connected by several rivers, most notably the rivers Rhine, Meuse, Moselle, and Meurthe.

Lorrain is also famous for its many traditional dishes, such as Quiche Lorraine, Pâté Lorrain, and Potée lorraine. Pâté lorrain consists of chopped pork and veal which is flavoured with local white vine and than baked inside puff pastry. Potée lorraine is a rustic stew where sausages and smoked meats are cooked together with root vegetables and cabbage. Since the 15^th century, potatoes have been included in Potée lorraine.

The famous Quiche Lorraine consists of eggs, cream, bacon and lardons. Unlike many other French quiches, it contains no cheese. If you add onion to a Quiche Lorraine, it becomes a Quiche Alsacienne.

Typical Lorraine deserts will often feature mirabelle plum, the emblematic fruit of Lorraine.

Motherfucking wizards never die! I just wanted to share this cute little video with you’ll. It is a spoof of the role playing game World of Warcraft, but you don’t have to be a WOW devotee to enjoy this rap. I think that deep down in our hearts, we all dream about becoming immortal wizards cruising the streets of urban America.

Cholera is caused by a bacterium named Vibrio cholerae. It is a feared disease world-wide but most infections will actually only produce mild diarrhoea or no symptoms at all. Despite this, cholera outbreaks can lead to numerous deaths, especially in regions where medical treatment is out of reach.

About in 5-10% of all the persons infected with cholera will develop a serious form that can be fatal. The outbreak can occur as early as 6 hours after exposure to the bacterium, but it can also take up to 5 days for any symptoms to appear.

The major risk factor with cholera is that is can cause the body to loose vast amounts of fluids in a very short time. It is difficult to replenish the fluids at the same pace as they are lost, and failure to do so will lead to severe dehydration and possibly death. In severe cases, the infected person can die within a few hours.

For those who wish to protect themselves and can afford to pay, an oral vaccine is available that will prevent cholera for up to 3 years. The vaccine is swallowed instead of injected, so there are no needles involved. Unfortunately, the vaccine does not offer 100% protection.

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